Remembering Leslie with a Memorial Bench

My name is Connor and my wife, Leslie Sarah Reynolds, passed away on July 4th, 2024 after a long battle with colon cancer. Leslie loved our daughter, family, and community with all her heart. She raised the spirit of every person she met. She gave hope and strength to people in their darkest hours, when they needed it the most. Before her illness forced her to retire, she taught at North Rockland High School; she loved her students as if they were her children, often keeping in touch with them for years after they were in her class. If you had the pleasure of knowing Leslie, then you know words could never hope to capture the impact she had on others.

As a way for family and friends to celebrate Leslie, I’m asking for your help to raise money for a memorial bench that will be placed near the waterfall in the Kennedy Dells hiking trails in New City, NY. We used to hike the trails with our daughter and would stop at the waterfall to enjoy its beauty. We envision the bench as a nice place for our friends and family to stop for a moment, enjoy the scenery and remember Leslie.

As luck would have it (or Leslie’s intervention), the Rockland County Parks Department has been looking into having a bench placed near the waterfall and was looking for a donor. After speaking with them, if we can raise the funds and purchase the bench, they’ll install it free of charge. I’ve set the goal based on what I believe will cover the full cost of the bench. We’d be so touched if we’re able to raise that amount to celebrate and remember Leslie. If by some miracle we raised more than that, those funds would go to our daughter’s summer camp and anything else to ensure she has the full life that Leslie and I dreamed of for her.